Microneedling

Spooky sounding new facial that is a hit with celebrities now available in the Valley

Dr. Edgar Macias handles skin care from the critical to the cosmetic, and his schedule became even busier after he started offering the Vampire Facial.

The board-certified Fresno dermatologist said calls started coming in for the skin-rejuvenating treatment after a much-followed celebrity posted about the process.

Kim Kardashian West created a lot of buzz about the facial that might look scary but promises supernatural results.

“The results are instantaneous. Immediate gratification is key. So the patient will experience a radiant glow immediately after the procedure, they’ll feel the difference in the tone and texture of their skin, it’s a lot smoother, it removes a lot of dead skin cells from the surface,” said Dr. Macias.

Bringing dead skin cells back to life? The Vampire Facial didn’t scare away Amber Contino of Fresno. In fact, the 29-year-old married, mother of two is on her third treatment.

Amber says the Vampire Facial gives her such a glow, that she can often skip makeup when she’s running around as a busy mom.

“It feels like I have better skin than I’ve ever had in my life,” said Contino.

The Vampire Facial starts with numbing cream, to make the patient more comfortable.

Registered nurse, Halli Bisla, handles the process in Dr. Macias’ office and said it must be done by a medical professional, because it involves a blood draw.

Contino said that is the only slightly painful part. A vial of her blood is taken, then put in a centrifuge which spins it at a high rate of speed separating the blood from the platelet rich plasma, or PRP. PRP has been used for years in medicine for wound-healing and repair.

Dr. Macias said dermatologists began using PRP for skin treatments because there’s nothing better than the bodies’ own perfect combination of 19 growth factors in the platelets.

“It’s a super-charged cocktail of anti-ageing regenerative and repairing serum.”

While her blood is spinning, Contino gets the micro-needling part of the vampire facial.

A motorized pen with tiny needles causes micro-injuries to the skin which serve as channels for the PRP to soak in. All while the body repairs those injuries with new collagen.

Now Contino is ready for her own platelet rich plasma to be applied to her face, which at first, sounded strange.

“I totally thought that it was like, literally smearing blood on my face and I was shocked when she showed me the separated blood with the PRP and it was smearing the platelets in your face.”

The red blood cells separate to the bottom and the plasma separates upwards which holds the platelets. The platelets contain all of the growth factors– they don’t call it liquid gold for nothing.

Contino said the “liquid gold” brings instant relief after the micro-needling.

Dr. Macias said the Vampire Facial results get better over time as the growth factors in the PRP continue to improve the skin.

The recommended course of treatment is three sessions spaced four to six weeks apart for about $1,700.

Contino said the facials save her time because it enables her to shorten her skin-care routine. So she gladly spends an hour at a time for the facial, and like a vampire, she returns time after time.

“I will do it again and again and again. I will keep doing it until they tell me I can’t.”

Activating skin renewal to delay the signs of aging.

Common aging concerns with texture, firmness and tone are no longer an inevitability, thanks to microneedling—one of the fastest growing trends in cosmetic medicine. This safe and versatile treatment is a year-round solution to delay the signs of aging for all skin types, including darker skin tones. Our clinic also employs Platelet-Rich Plasma—a cutting-edge technique that uses your own platelet-rich blood plasma—in conjunction with microneedling for enhanced anti-aging and repairing benefits.

How it works.

Microneedling entails the transmission of controlled micro-injuries to the skin. The skin responds to these microscopic wounds by producing new collagen and elastin. The initiated healing process stimulates the healthy functions of the skin for improved texture and firmness, as well as a reduction in scars, pore size and stretch marks. When Platelet-Rich Plasma is introduced to the microneedling treatment, the platelets, which are rich in growth factors, expedite healing and activate tissue rejuvenation. Additionally, this innovative treatment, also known as the “vampire facial”, restores damaged skin and improves scars resulting from acne or trauma. Over a series of treatments, notable skin improvements are realized with minimal pain or discomfort. Microneedling, when performed alone or combined with Platelet-Rich Plasma, is sure to become a treatment of choice for Fresno and Central Valley patients who wish to maintain smoother, softer and younger-looking skin without the discomfort and downtime associated with more invasive cosmetic procedures.